David Slade's Hard Candy
A Modern Adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood
Others have Red and Grandma being saved by a concerned woodsman. Neither of these are true in David Slade’s 2006 thriller “Hard Candy”, starring Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson. Page plays Hayley Stark, an intelligent, though seemingly naïve 14-year-old girl, who agrees to meet 32-year-old photographer by the name of Jeff Kohlver, played by Wilson, in person at a café.
The Chase Begins
After the two meet, Hayley and Jeff return to his house where they drink screwdrivers that Hayley has mixed herself, since she tells him she will not drink anything unless she knows exactly what’s in it. Eventually Jeff becomes disoriented, as Hayley has spiked his drink, and she accuses him of being a pedophile, which he vehemently denies. The two then become locked in battle and the predator quickly becomes the prey.
"Hard Candy"'s Similarities to and Differences from Other Adaptations of "Little Red Riding Hood"
Though the movie is only loosely based on the “Little Red Riding Hood” tale, it has a lot in common with some other adaptations. In James Thurber and Roald Dahl’s versions of the fairy tale, Red turns the table on the Wolf and kills him, as opposed to the traditional ending of her being eaten by him. This is exactly what happens in “Hard Candy”, as Hayley gains the upper hand over Jeff and the movie sees the “Wolf” fighting for his life against his would be victim.
The film is also consistent with the moral of several of the adaptations, that little girls are not as easy to fool as they used to be. However, a major difference between the film and other versions is that Red doesn’t necessarily start off as the huntress, and that this change came about as a matter of self-defense, whereas in “Hard Candy”, Hayley sets out with the intention of exposing Jeff for what he really was. In reality, Hayley is more like the Wolf than Red.
There is a point in the movie that almost parallels the intervention of the woodsman and that is the appearance of a concerned neighbor, played by Sandra Oh, though her arrival would have benefited Jeff, not Hayley. But one thing that the film does keep from other versions of the fairy tale is the sexual element. The entire movie centers around Hayley’s accusation of Jeff being a pedophile, which is consistent with the view that the Wolf represents any man that is cunning or charming and has the intention of “gobbling down” little girls.
Reflections of Human Nature in "Hard Candy"
This film reflects several aspects of human nature, some that are surprising, and others that are apparent. One is that people are not always who – or what – they appear to be. Hayley seems to be so innocent and naïve that in the end, one can’t help but be shocked at the fate that Jeff is subjected to by her hands. But it also shows that little girls really aren’t as easy to fool as they used to be. Hayley clearly knows what she is doing every step of the way, even when Jeff tries to assure her that he is not what she thinks he is – which she ends up being correct about in the end.
Another aspect of human nature that the film reflects is that of motivation of guilt and shame. After being severely outwitted by the wily teen, Jeff is given the chance to avoid being exposed as a pedophile to his ex-girlfriend, Janelle, for whom he still has feelings. To escape the shame of Janelle finding out what he really is, Jeff walks off the roof of his house with a noose around his neck, under the impression that Hayley will not reveal his dark secret to Janelle.
Though the ending is anything but traditional, it does keep in line with the more violent conclusions of Thurber and Dahl’s adaptations. Perhaps the moral of the film is that modern “Little Red Riding Hoods” have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors and have taken it upon themselves not to fall victim to the wiles of ostensibly good men.
A Modern Adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood
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